Delegating tasks are one thing many business owners just don't do. Some people may say that business owners do not delegate because they are stubborn and want to do everything themselves. As a business coach, the excuses I have heard are "I don't have the money." Or "it takes longer to train someone than I can do it myself." These are excuses. Business owners do not delegate takes because they do not realize the benefits to the business. When business owners begin to build their teams with virtual assistants, part-time employees or 1099 contractors they will see their business grow. When the business is growing typically the profits are growing too.
Here are my three reasons that business owners should delegate.
1. Your idea or vision gets completed faster. It doesn’t sit on your desk waiting for “someday”. When you delegate a task or project you give a completion deadline to the team member that is completing the task. You need to put on your business owner hat and stop wearing your worker bee bonnet. Leaders delegate, follow-up, and review the work of their employees. They are ultimately responsible for the end product. But, when you surround yourself with niche experts the work will get done faster and with more accuracy than if you attempted to do it yourself. Remember, "someday” never comes.
2. You save time and money. Often the person you are delegating too can complete the task faster than you. This saves you time and money! If you are not an expert at social media marketing, website updates, or newsletter creation then outsource these tasks to a virtual assistant who is the expert. You would not attempt to bake a three tier wedding cake if you are not a professional cake designer. Ok, you may attempt it but admit it probably wouldn’t look as good or taste as yummy. We have all seen the tattoo picture circulating on social media with the person holding a picture of an intricate design and the tattoo artist drawing a tattoo that looks like a kindergartner did it. You often get what you pay for. Do not be this person scrimping and trying to do it yourself when you should delegate the task. Another example is the person that won’t pay for website maintenance or creation and it is a hot mess or nonexistent. Put a value on your time. When you realize you could have earned thousands of dollars but instead wasted the time trying to do your own website or fix your computer when you could have paid a few hundred dollars and let an expert get it updated or fixed within an hour or two. Time is money. Respect your time and money. Focus on the return on investment (ROI) when you delegate to someone who is an expert and can do the task faster and better.
3. You get more accomplished. When you delegate to your team you will be more productive. More tasks will get completed each day. You can focus on revenue producing activities while your team is taking care of the other things. Some items to delegate to your team include writing correspondence and mailing, bookkeeping, social media management, website updating, newsletter creation and other lead attraction strategies. You may also want to delegate the office cleaning, shopping and running errands, and bill paying. I have several people on my team and they each are experts at what they do. One is fabulous at writing media releases and conducting research. Another is in charge of my client care which includes scheduling, following up at times, and sending invoices. In the past, I have had a great gal who came to my office once a month to do filing and help keep me organized.
I first started delegating after I had been in business for two years and realized I still had items on my original opening day of business to do list. Those items were still on the list because I didn't know how to do them or didn't want to do them. I hired a school teacher who was unemployed for the summer and within a few days, she had my to-do list completed.
I challenge you to look at your to-do list. What has been on there for a while? Why is on there? Also, look around the piles in your office or on your desk. How could you benefit by delegating some the work? Would you be less stressed? Would you find things easier? Look at your bank and credit card statements. Did you pay late fees because you forgot or couldn't find a bill and it was paid late? Make a list of things that you would like to delegate or should delegate. Envision how you would feel if you did not have to complete the tasks that are on your list of things to delegate. I bet you feel a sense of relief that you do not have to do those tasks.
Remember, delegating is part of growing your business. Make your list of tasks or projects you would like to not have to continue working on and want to delegate. Then look forward to my next article where I will share tips on how to choose a virtual assistant or employee.
Coach Jaynine is the owner of Dream Catcher Business and Career Coaching. Jaynine uses the knowledge and skills she acquired during her 20 year career in the United States Marine Corps, working as a Psychologist in a locked mental health hospital, and being an entrepreneur to help medical and mental health professionals, small business owners, and medical spa owners grow their businesses by teaching them her five step process for attracting their ideal clients and turning them into paying clients. You can learn more about her signature program and download her free ecourse My Five Steps to Networking Success by visiting http://coachjaynine.com/
Post new comment
Please Register or Login to post new comment.